किं नु तेषां गृहे क्षेममक्षेमं किं नु साम्प्रतम् । कथं ते किं नु सद्वृत्ताः दुर्वृत्ताः किं नु मे सुताः
Is there well-being or misfortune in their home now? How are they? Are my sons of good conduct or bad?
यैर्निरस्तो भवांल्लुब्धैः पुत्रदारादिभिर्धनैः । तेषु किं भवतः स्नेहमनुबध्नाति मानसम्
Those greedy ones—my sons, wife, and others—who cast you out for the sake of wealth, does your mind still feel affection for them?
एवमेतद्यथा प्राह भवानस्मद्गतं वचः । किं करोमि न बध्नाति मम निष्ठुरतां मनः
It is just as you have said, your words reflect my own thoughts; but what can I do? My mind does not become hard-hearted.
यैः सन्त्यज्य पितृस्नेहं धनलुब्धैर्निराकृतः । पतिस्वजनहार्दं च हार्दि तेष्वेव मे मनः
Though I was rejected by those greedy for wealth, who abandoned their filial affection, still my heart remains attached to them—my wife, family, and kin.
किमेतन्नाभिजानामि जानन्नपि महामते । यत्प्रेमप्रवणं चित्तं विगुणेष्वपि बन्धुषु
O wise one, I do not understand this, even though I know it: why does the mind remain inclined with affection toward relatives, even when they are unworthy?
तेषां कृते मे निः श्वासो दौर्मनस्यं च जायते । करोमि किं यन्न मनस्तेष्वप्रीतिषु निष्ठुरम्
Because of them, I sigh and feel distress; what can I do, since my mind is not harsh toward those who show me no affection?
ततस्तौ सहितौ विप्र तं मुनिं समुपस्थितौ । समाधिर्नाम वैश्यो ऽसौ स च पार्थिवसत्तमः
Then, O Brahmin, the two of them together approached that sage—one was a merchant named Samadhi, and the other, the best of kings.
कृत्वा तु तौ यथान्यायं यथार्हं तेन संविदम् । उपविष्टौ कथाः काश्चिच्चक्रतुर्वैश्य-पार्थिवौ
Having properly greeted him as was fitting, the merchant and the king sat down and began to converse on various topics.
भगवंस्त्वामहं प्रष्टुमिच्चाम्येकं वदस्व तत् । दुः खाय यन्मे मनसः स्वचित्तायत्ततां विना
Revered sir, I wish to ask you something—please tell me this: why does my mind remain attached to sorrow, even though it is not under my control?
ममत्वं गतराज्यस्य राज्याङ्गेष्वखिलेष्वपि । जानतो ऽपि यथाज्ञस्य किमेतन्मुनिसत्तम
Even though I have lost my kingdom and all its parts, why does the sense of 'mine' persist in me, as if I were ignorant, though I know the truth, O best of sages?
अयं च निकृतः पुत्रैर्दारैर्भृत्यैस्तथोज्झितः । स्वजनेन च सन्त्यक्तस्तेषु हार्दे तथाप्यति
And he has been deceived by his sons, abandoned by his wife and servants, and forsaken by his own people; yet, even so, his heart remains attached to them.
एवमेष तथाहं च द्वावप्यत्यन्तदुः खितौ । दृष्टदोषे ऽपि विषये ममत्वाकृष्टमानसौ
In this way, both he and I are deeply afflicted; though we see the faults in these objects, our minds are still drawn by attachment.
तत्किमेतन्महाभाग यन्मोहो ज्ञानिनोरपि । ममास्य च भवत्येषा विवेकान्धस्य मूढता
O greatly fortunate one, what is this delusion that arises even for the wise? Why does this bewilderment of discernment, this folly, occur to me and to him?
ज्ञानमस्ति समस्तस्य जन्तोर्विषयगोचरे । विषयश्च महाभाग याति चैवं पृथक् पृथक्
All beings possess knowledge regarding objects, O greatly fortunate one, and yet, the objects themselves appear to each being in different ways.
दिवान्धाः प्राणिनः केचिद्रात्रावन्धास्तथापरे । केचिद् दिवा तथा रात्रौ प्राणिनस्तुल्यदृष्टयः
Some living beings are blind by day, others are blind by night; and some, both by day and by night, perceive equally.
ज्ञानिनो मनुजाः सत्यं किन्तु ते न हि केवलम् । यतो हि ज्ञानिनः सर्वे पशु-पक्षि-मृगादयः
It is true that humans are knowledgeable, but they are not unique in this; for indeed, all creatures—cattle, birds, wild animals, and others—possess knowledge.
ज्ञानं च तन्मनुष्याणां यत्तेषां मृगृपक्षिणाम् । मनुष्याणां च यत्तेषां तुल्यमन्यत्तथोभयोः
The knowledge that humans possess, and that which belongs to animals and birds—whatever is similar between humans and them, and whatever is distinct, is likewise found in both.
ज्ञाने ऽपि सति पश्यैतान् पतङ्गाञ्छावचञ्चुषु । कणमोक्षादृतान् मोहात्पीड्यमानानपि क्षुधा
Even though knowledge exists, look at these moths, drawn to the flames, who, out of delusion, pursue the fire for its taste, and, though tormented by hunger, are destroyed.
मानुषा मनुजव्याघ्र साभिलाषाः सुतान् प्रति । लोभात्प्रत्युपकाराय नन्वेतान् किं न पश्यसि
Humans, like tigers among men, are attached to their children with desire; out of greed, they seek reciprocation—do you not see this in them as well?
तथापि ममतावर्ते मोहगर्ते निपातिताः । महामायाप्रभावेण संसारस्थितिकारिणा
Yet, caught in the whirlpool of attachment and cast into the pit of delusion by the power of the great Māyā, which sustains the world, they remain thus.
तन्नात्र विस्मयः कार्यो योगनिद्रा जगत्पतेः । महामाया हरेश्चैतत्तथा संमोह्यते जगत्
Therefore, there is no cause for astonishment here; by the Yoga-nidrā of the Lord of the universe, by the great Māyā of Hari, the world is thus deluded.
ज्ञानिनामपि चेतांसि देवी भगवती हि सा । बलादाकृष्य मोहाय महामाया प्रयच्छति
Even the minds of the wise, O Devi, are forcibly drawn by that Blessed Goddess; the great Māyā bestows delusion upon them.
तया विसृज्यते विश्वं जगदेतच्चराचरम् । सैषा प्रसन्ना वरदा नृणां भवति मुक्तये
By her, this entire universe, both animate and inanimate, is brought forth; when she is gracious, she grants boons and becomes the means of liberation for people.
सा विद्या परमा मुक्तेर्हेतुभूता सनातनी । संसारबन्धहेतुश्च सैव सर्वेश्वरेश्वरी
She is the supreme knowledge, eternal, the cause of liberation; and she herself is also the cause of bondage in worldly existence, the sovereign of all sovereigns.
भगवन् ! का हि सा देवी महामायेति यां भवान् । ब्रवीति कथमुत्पन्ना सा कर्मास्याश्च किं द्विज
O revered one! Who is that goddess whom you call Mahāmāyā? How did she arise, and what are her deeds, O twice-born?
यत्स्वभावा च सा देवी यत्स्वरूपा यदुद्भवा । तत् सर्वं श्रोतुमिच्छामि त्वत्तो ब्रह्मविदां वर
What is the nature of that goddess, what is her essence, and from where did she originate? I wish to hear all this from you, foremost among knowers of Brahman.
नित्यैव सा जगन्मूर्तिस्तया सर्वमिदं ततम् । तथापि तत्समुत्पत्तिर्बहुधा श्रुयतां मम
She is eternally the embodiment of the universe, and by her, all this is pervaded; yet, her origin is recounted in many ways—listen to it from me.
देवानां कार्यसिद्ध्यर्थमाविर्भवति सा यदा । उत्पन्नेति तदा लोके सा नित्याप्यभिधीयते
Whenever it is necessary for the accomplishment of the gods’ purposes, she manifests; though eternal, she is said to be born in the world at such times.
योगनिद्रां यदा विष्णुर्जगत्येकार्णवीकृते । आस्तीर्य शेषमभजत् कल्पान्ते भगवान् प्रभुः
When, at the end of the cosmic cycle, the Lord Viṣṇu, having spread out the serpent Śeṣa, reclined in yogic slumber upon the single ocean that was the world,
तदा द्वावसुरौ घोरौ विख्यातौ मधुकैटभौ । विष्णुकर्णमलोद्भूतौ हन्तुं ब्रह्माणमुद्यतौ
Then, two terrible demons, renowned as Madhu and Kaiṭabha, born from the earwax of Viṣṇu, rose up, intent on killing Brahmā.